This blog is a result of the heavy censoring of the media by the military dictatorship regime.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Documents show Pflieger machinations in Essential Industries Decree

ANDY COOK

A clear trend is emerging about the powerful influence that foreign owned corporations are exerting on Fiji through the military regime of Frank Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum.

It follows more revelations after the enforcement of the draconian Essential National Industries (Employment) Decree last Friday, which nullifies the role of trade unions, professional trade unionists, workers' rights, collective agreements and gives absolute powers to the employers - and Bainimarama and Khaiyum.

That is why foreign owned and managed companies (including where family interests lie - Radio Fiji managed by Khaiyum's brother, Riyaz, and Telecom Fiji Ltd - managed by South African, Rohan Mail) are designated corporations under the Decree.

The first indications were that Air Pacific, the sugar industry and the tourism industry would be affected by the Decree - if we accept that the regime's reason of protecting essential industries from its claim of exploitation by unions was to be taken as gospel truth. If that was bad enough (sugar and tourism were subsequently excluded), the fact that the Decree extends to private sector, especially commercial banks, which are all foreign owned, has a strong whiff of collusion.

The collusion theory makes sense when with Air Pacific chief executive, David Pflieger, playing a leading role in the drafting of the Decree through his ideas or that of consultants he recommended for the job of stifling workers and unions.

Coupfourpointfive has been given documents, (some of which are memos) with Pflieger's signature that show the leading role played by him.

Pllieger's letter to Aiyaz Khaiyum urging the regime to include Pacific Sun (Fiji Airlines Ltd) as a designated corporation under the Decree and a memo confirming the appointment of one Andy Cook as consultant to see the enforcement of Decree in Air Pacific are two examples of what we are saying.

And all this is happening right under the nose of Qantas, the Australian Airline, which owns 46% of Air Pacific and whose directors are on Air Pacific's board.

We have also been given a draft letter prepared by Pacific Sun general manager, Shaenaz Voss. That letter was to be given to Pacific Sun employees on the airline being listed as a designated corporation under the Decree. But the absence of Pacific Sun from the Regulations under the Decree dampened some of Voss's enthusiam to trample on the rights of her workers. That has obviously led to Pflieger (with whom Shaenaz has an intimate relationship) to write to Aiyaz Khaiyum.

Similarly, in the private sector, Bank of South Pacific has PNG interests but appears a minor player compwhen ared to Australia and New Zealand, who own ANZ and Westpac Banks. And then it is the Indian interest through the ownership of Bank of Baroda.

We therefore question why foreign owned corporations or in case of Air Pacific 46% ownership, are quiet when the corporations are included in the Decree?

Almost a week has passed since the announcement of the Regulations under the Decree but ANZ, Westpac, Bank of Baroda, BSP and Qantas have all remained silent. Have they forgotten that they are required to abide by standards and regulations governing trade unions and workers in their own countries, which by the way give protection to the workers and unions? And what about the governments of Australia, New Zealand and India who are not blind and can see the ramifications of the collusion between the regime and the corporations?

In the absence of any answers or public positions, there is a growing perception of collusion between the foreign owned corporations and the regime, leading us to predict a period of uncertainty in the industrial relations front in future.

Pflieger is an a##hole, but reading his letter, it doesn't seem like he is doing anything other than asking for clarification.

Also not that IT IS HIS JOB to get everything he can for Air Pacific and Pacific Sun. That is what he was hired to do.

Attack the government of course, but not for a corporation for trying to do what every for-profit corporation is supposed to do... get more jobs.

Pflieger should not be judged by workers rights, only the government should be attacked for that. Pflieger should be judged for one thing and one thing only... the profits, market share, and financial position of Air Pacific.

It wouldn't be that difficult to challenge the Labor Party and Julia Gillard's Government, especially given that it is a Hung Parliament.I would like someone in the Fiji Community to approach one of the Independents to bring these Workers Rights and other Human Rights abuses, up in Parliament.

keep reminding yourselVes ... all the worry about decRees is For nothing. the decrees will all be discarded, abandoned, done away with, scrapped, brushed aside, come to naught, when the treasonist, murderous, thieVing liaRs are Finally brought to justice.

It us human nature not to like changes. Take for example where you seat for dinner at the table. Try different position tonigt. It will feel funny for few minutes but then you will get used to it . It's this first few minutes we don't wish confront. Same with the government . We are not sure what the change will bring. Hence why AG put in PER. He is very clever in making sure the future remain mystery and with PER he can do this .

Why FBC and not Communications Fiji Ltd? Why radio only and not print media and TV? Why? Why? WHY?

The term industries is a misnomer any way as those 11 entities chosen are not industries but parts of ...

So the question that needs to be asked once again is

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS DRACONIAN DECREE?

Protection? Yeah, OK. But PROTECT who from who/what?

I THINK the decree is just another way to showcase the power, arrogance and personality of Fiji's REAL dictator (and it definitely is NOT Frankie!).

The excuse about protecting Fiji's economy, her workers and her people is once again just another cruel ploy by the dictator to mislead everyone (and how long has he been doing that and more importantly, how long are we going to let him to do that?).The decree is once again just another example of the cruel dictator's flaunting of his power and control. He is laughing and sneering at everyone taunting "What you gonna do huh? What you gonna do?" (which in present day Fiji means 'What can you do?)

The $100 million question at Air Pacific, why have the Qantas board members remained silent and allow CEO Pflieger, who obviously does not know his job by conning his way through the entire board with his American accent.

the decree is pflieger's brainchild. it is a cut and paste of the american chapter 11 law. when an american company file for banruptcy protection in US all agreements union or otherwise become null and void in 60 days. plieger was a legal entity with start up airline virgin america and he tried to bulldoze his way thru the dept. of transport in US and D.O.T knocked pflieger into place.now pflieger is here and he is doing the same thing he tried in the US. unfortunately he is getting his way here because AG is on his side and now they change the rules to suit themselves. pflieger is a 'con'. his flying experience is in the military. and then all that experience is untested. he has flown once only in A320 as captain under supervision during a ferry flight. no other time. he now continually sits in the jumpseat in the ATR42 so he can learn the pilot language so that he can broaden his 'pilot' experience. he has tried to do that on the air pac aircrafts particularly the B747 and he was refused by the captains.so he now throws his weight around with the ATR42 captains and intimidates them.the air pacific pilots just laugh at him.

The next time Air Pacific CEO Pfliger demands the jump seat into LA, allow him into the cockpit but on approach advise the tower that a terrorist is in the cockpit. Let's see if he can bullshit his way out of Homeland Security the con artist.

Thanks to "conman" David Pfliger, the people of Fiji and the Pacific are being exposed to new American management style as Pfliger builds a wall (28 expat at last count) of consultants paid by taxpayers. If you don't know HR, hire expensive consultants, if you don't know engines and airframes, hire expensive consultants, if you don't know finance, hire expensive consultants, if you can't prove that you are a pilot to our Fiji Captains who fly 747-400, hide your log book, if you want to screw the staff of Air Pacific whom you can't negotiate against, hire expensive New York lawyers, if you want to destroy our national airline and deny locals, make life difficult so they quit Air Pacific and look for jobs off-shore. Thanks David, you are an arse-hole!